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Travis Lulay to make season debut vs. Redblacks

Veteran quarterback Travis Lulay will start his first game of 2014 on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET) when the B.C. Lions visit Ottawa, almost a full year after injuring his throwing shoulder in a goal-line collision.

B.C. quarterback returns nearly one year after injuring throwing shoulder

The Canadian Press · September 5, 2014

Lions quarterback Travis Lulay will start his first game of 2014 on Friday when the Lions visit Ottawa, almost a full year after injuring his throwing shoulder in a goal-line collision last September. (Liam Richards/Canadian Press/File)

Travis Lulay always knew he would be back under centre for the B.C. Lions.

He just didn't expect it to take this long.

The veteran quarterback will start his first game of 2014 on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET) when the Lions visit the Ottawa Redblacks, almost a full year after injuring his throwing shoulder in a goal-line collision last September.

It was hoped Lulay would be healthy in time for training camp after undergoing off-season surgery, but he instead takes charge nine games into a campaign that has seen the Lions wobble to 5-4 record in the CFL's ultra-competitive West Division.

"I'm excited. This is why you play the game, to have an opportunity to play," Lulay said after Wednesday's practice. "I don't take a minute of it for granted. If I learned anything during [the last year], it was that I feel fortunate to be able to do what I do. I just love being out here with the guys."

Lulay said going on the six-game injured list at the start of the regular season gave him a chance to refocus, and it was towards the end of that period when he finally started to feel like he was getting back to normal.

"I knew it was a process ... I didn't know exactly when that process would come to an end," he said. "I do feel confident in my ability to play well.

"There was so much unknown going into [training] camp, knowing there was a chance that I may be ready early [and] knowing there was a chance it might take a while into the season."

Good timing

Lulay has dressed the last three games as a backup, seeing action late in the last two, and with the team coming off a bye week, head coach Mike Benevides felt the time was right for the 30-year-old to take over from Kevin Glenn.

"He's as good as I've seen him in a long, long time ... a long, long time," Benevides said of Lulay. "He's not going to be as smooth as he wants to be a month from now, but he looks as good as I've seen in a long time."

Lulay's return comes at a critical juncture for B.C., which has been consistently inconsistent so far in 2014. The Lions have road victories over the Calgary Stampeders (8-1) and Saskatchewan Roughriders (7-2), but are an uncharacteristic 2-3 at home.

While travelling to the nation's capital to take a 1-8 expansion team might seem like an easy game to get Lulay back in rhythm, the Lions know the Redblacks will be a stiff test, especially for B.C.'s offence.

"We know we've got a battle in front of us," said Lulay. "I really believe Ottawa's defence is a solid defence. They've been playing good football and keeping their team in games."

After an upbeat week of practice, Benevides said having the team's No. 1 pivot back as the starter has energized the club as it looks towards the second half of the season.

"There's no doubt the guys feel good for Travis," said Benevides. "Travis is part of who they are and a lot of guys feel for him and expect a lot of out of him. He's just a high-tempo guy, a charismatic-type leader and it's nice to have him back."

Different dynamic

Lions running back Andrew Harris, who sits fourth in the CFL with 421 yards rushing on the season, said Lulay brings a different dynamic to the club.

"He's a playmaker and he's been our leader for a long time. It's just good to have him back. He's comfortable and we're ready to rock with him," said Harris. "There's a certain confidence and a certain little aura that comes with Travis Lulay."

While Glenn guided the Lions to a 5-4 record with an offence that ranks second in the CFL in total yards per game, he also had a league-high 11 interceptions, with many of those picks coming at key times.

In Lulay, the Lions get their franchise player back for the second half of a season that will culminate with the Grey Cup game at B.C. Place Stadium in November.

"I don't feel nervous. I have the confidence of guys around me," said Lulay. "This team knows me. This team knows how I play the game and how competitive I am and all those things. I know that I'm going to get a great effort from those guys and I can feel their confidence even though I've been out of the huddle for a little while."

Ottawa struggling with scoring, discipline

The Redblacks have lost six straight games and continue to look like an expansion franchise striving to find its identity.

Ottawa leads the CFL in penalties with 113 for 966 yards, an average of 12.6 penalties for 107.3 yards per game.

The Redblacks had 16 penalties for 123 yards in last week's 20-10 loss to the Montreal Alouettes. That prompted head coach Rick Campbell to tell the team's radio broadcast that "players have to choose to be a professional football player and not have the moment be too big for you or too emotional and that's what it is. We've got to coach guys better and that starts with me and I'll do a better job."

On Thursday, Campbell said he probably should've chosen his words more carefully but added individuals can't allow themselves to get caught up in the moment.

"Football is an emotional game, there's a lot of battles going on out there on the field," Campbell said. "You just have to make sure in the heat of the moment you're not costing the team anything by letting your emotions get the best of you."

More points would help from an offence averaging a league-low 15.1 per game. Veteran QB Henry Burris hasn't scored a TD at home this season and it was the defence that scored Ottawa's last touchdown at TD Place on an interception.

Burris has completed just 58.7 per cent of his passes this year, well down from the 65.8 completion percentage he had last year with Hamilton.

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